Laowa’s Upcoming Wide-Angle Zoom Lens

credits: Venus Optics

Venus Optics is apparently working on a new Laowa-branded wide-angle zoom lens with an f/2.8 aperture and autofocus for full-frame mirrorless cameras. The info comes from a survey the company posted on Weibo, along with a teaser image of a prototype. From what is visible, the lens has a fairly standard layout with separate rings for aperture, zoom, and focus, and the version shown is built for Sony E-mount. Beyond that, there are no other confirmed specs yet.

Instead, Venus Optics is still figuring out which direction to take. The survey lists four possible versions, a 12–24mm f/2.8, 12–20mm f/2.8, 14–24mm f/2.8, and 16–35mm f/2.8. They differ not just in focal range, but also in things like filter size, with some versions supporting standard front filters like 77mm or 86mm, which is not always a given with ultra-wide zooms. Based on early feedback, the 14–24mm and 16–35mm options seem to be getting the most support, with an expected price of around 6,000 yuan (roughly $850).

For Laowa, this would be a noticeable move into more mainstream territory. Up to now, the company has mostly focused on manual focus lenses and more niche designs, like probe lenses or tilt-shifts. A fast autofocus wide-angle zoom puts it much closer to what the bigger brands are doing. The real question will be how it handles things like optical performance and autofocus reliability in a category that is already pretty competitive. The new lens is expected to be released in late April or May, although it is still unclear which version will actually make it into production.